Machine for finishing forged horseshoe-nails



No. 6|5,377. Patented Dec. 6, I898. H. A. WILLIAMS.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FDRGED HOBSESHOE NAILS.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.)

9 Sheets-Shaek I. 7.1 Y

-JZ- I65 68 612 (No Model.)

WIT 55555. Q 4

' 176712 z'ZZzw' 11w.

TH: uonms rzrzws 06.. Pnomumn. wumuamn, n. C.

No. 6l5.377. Patented Dec.'6, I898.

u. A. WILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR FINISHING FORGED HOBSESHOENAILS.

Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

no; mam! rmlu cu. PHOTO-HIM. wunmamn. u. g

9 Sheets-Sheet 3,

Patanted Dec. 6, I898. H. A. WILLIAMS. I MACHINE FUR FINISHING FORGEDHUBSESHOE NAILS. (Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

B A m M; 2

E j g l M m w K 1. U

y T W M,

m R J 5; v i... E a 7 Q: g m mWi W .I w W. H |.I fl

N0. 6l5,377. Patented Dec. 6, [898. H. A. WILLIAMS.

MACHINE'FUR. FINISHING FORGED HORSESHOE'NAILS.

(Application med 00:. 4, 1897.)

(no Model.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No. 6l5,377. Patented Dec. 6, I898.

H. A. WILLIAMS. MACHINE FOR FINISHING, FORGED HORSESHOE NAILS.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.

' 9 Shaats-Sheet s.

(No Model.)

vlflllll'lllilflllf WITNESSES Ham/ a 36% m: Noam: PETEFS ca, mmu ma.wAsMmumu. n. 1;

No. 6l5,377. Patented Dec. 6,- I898.

I II. A. WILLIAMS. MACHINE FDR FINISHING FORGED IIORSESI'IOE NAILS.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.) um mum 9 sums-sham a.

III!

IN\\\\ W 2 I I SK a Ill B B ER a R No. 615,377. Patented Dec. 6, I898.H. A. WILLIAMS.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FORGED HORSESHOE NAILS.

(Application in Oct. 4, 1897.) (No Model.) 9 SheetsSheet 7.

WITNESSES; v I N 3- No. 65,377. Patented D80. 6, I898.

I II.- A. WILLIAMS. MACHINE-FOR FINISHING FORGED HOBSESIIOE NAILS.

(Appliclfion filed Oct. 4, 1897.)

9 Shuts-Sheet 8.

F/Qfl7- (No Model.)

W/IT/ESEES- 1132103 (/2 milianw.

H. A. WILLIAMS.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FORGED HORSESHOE NAILS.

(Application filed Oct.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 6. I898.

9 Sheats-8heat 9.

F'I'gf. 21-. F7 22- h NORRIS rm! co. worn-info. waulr amu. 'u. C.

fig/.25- F751. 26.

[Tangy J7.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ALEXIS WILLIAMS, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PUTNAMNAIL COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING FORGED HORSESHOE-NAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,377, datedIJecember 6, 1898.

Application filed October 4, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY ALEXIS VVIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines forFinishing Forged Horseshoe-Jails, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of myimproved nail-finishing machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3'is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isan enlarged plan view of the top of the machine. Fig. 5 is an enlargedvertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. (3 is a horizontalsection on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged verticalsection on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on theline 8 S of Fig. 7. Fig.

, 9 is a plan of the intermittingly-rotating carrier-Wheel for invertingthe nails after passing through the-lowermost pair of rolls. Fig. 10 isa face view of the same. Fig. 11 is a face view of the same with thecovering-plate removed. Fig. 12 is a vertical section on the line 12 12of Fig. 4. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the combined cutting andcompressing die and the adjustable housing for the same. Figs. 14B and15 are perspective views Serial No. 654,074. (No model.)

nail shown in Fig. 23. Fig. is a front view of the finished nail. Fig.26 is a side view of the same. Fig. 27 is a View of the surplus portionof the nail sheared off by the cuttingdie in the operation of finishingthe nail. Fig. 28 is a vertical section on the line 28 28 of Fig. 1.Fig. 29 is a sectional detailto be referred to. Fig. is a sectionaldetail on the line 30 30 of Fig. 1.

In the manufacture of forged horseshoenails a considerable number arealways found having imperfections of various kinds-such as variations inthe length, width, or thickness of the shank or bladewhichimperfections, although not sufficient to unfit all of these nails foruse, still render the best of them unsalable as nails of the firstgrade, such nails being usually sold at a reduced price as seconds. Myinvention has for its object to provide a machine by means of whichthese inferior or imperfect nails may be, at a trifling cost, given theperfect symmetrical shape and size required for firstclass nails; and tothis end my invention consists in a machine of novel construction inwhich the nails while cold are acted upon by a series of pairs ofdie-grooved rolls to give them a uniform shape and subsequentlysubjected to a heavy pressure in cutting and shaping dies, which trim orshear ofi the surof the two portions of the cutting-die. Fig. 16 is asectional detail of the combined cutting and compressing (lie. Fig. 17is a sectional detail of the same, showing the parts in the positionwhich they occupy when the nail is being held between the punch and theyielding back of the die. Fig. 18 is'a sectional detail of the same,showing the position of the parts when the nail is being compressedafter being cut off. Fig. 19 is a sectional detail of the same, showingthe position of the parts after the nail has dropped out of the machineand the punch has been drawn back. Fig. 20 is an enlarged horizontalsection on the line 20 20 of Fig. 1. Fig. 21 is a front View of animperfectly-formed nail. Fig. 22 is a side view of the same. Fig. 23 isa front pressing die.

plus metal to produce a perfect point and unish the nail, as hereinafterfully described.

In the said drawings, A represents the framework of the machine, ofproper shape to support the working parts.

B, Fig. 3, is the driving-shaft, on which is fixed a bevel-gear C,meshing with and driving a horizontal bevel-gear D on a vertical shaftE, supported in bearings at the top andbottom of the framework andcarrying at its upper smaller end a small bevel-pinion 40, which mesheswith a bevel-gear 41 on a horizontal shaft 42, supported in bearingsrising from the top plate a of the framework. This shaft 42 carries atits outer end a sprocket-wheel 43, which transmits motion through achain 44 to a sprocket-wheel 45, fixed to the end of one of a pair oflong tapering feed-rolls G H, which are connected to rotate together bygears 46 4.7 and form a raceway for the reception of the nails, theserolls being arranged ICO in an inclined position and at such distanceapart as to leave a narrow space between them a little more thansuificient to accommodate the shanks of the nails when turned with theirwider fiat sides parallel with the rolls, the nails when between theserolls being supported by their heads and being fed forward in a pendentposition by the rotation of said rolls, the direction of which is upwardand outward from each other. These rolls are journaled at their largerends in a rocking support 48, pivoted at its opposite ends to a yoke 49,provided with a short shank or bar 50, which is adjustable verticallywithin a hollow post 51, provided with a clampingscrew 52, whereby thesupport 48 may be raised or lowered to vary the inclination of theraceway. The lower ends of the rolls G H are supported in journal-boxes35, open on the inner side, thereby preventing any interruption of thespace between said rolls which forms the passage for the nails.

Each nail as it arrives at the lower end of the raceway comes intocontact with a stopplate 53, by which it is caused to assume theinclined position shown in Fig. 5, its head entering a deep shoulderedgroove 54, formed in the periphery of a carrier-wheel K, the shaft 55 ofwhich is mounted in bearings rising from the top plate a. This shaft 55carries at one end a bevel wheel 56, which meshes with and is driven bya bevelgear 57 on a short shaft carrying a bevel-wheel 58, which in turnmeshes with and is driven by the horizontal bevel-pinion 40 at the upperend of the vertical shaft E, from which motion is thus transmitted tothe carrier-wheel K. The bottom of the groove 54, instead of beingconcentric with the periphery of the wheel K, is made polygonal, havingin the present case four fiat surfaces 59 for the shanks of the nails tolie against, as shown in Fig. 5. Close to each angle or corner formed bythe junction of two of the flat surfaces 59 is a pair of gripping-jaws60, pressed inwardly by spring-actuated levers 61, connected therewith,the outer ends of which bear against two stationary curved camplates LL, provided with projections or cams 62, which serve by contact with thelevers 61 to momentarily open the jaws 60 to allow the head of the nailto pass between them and be grasped thereby as soon as the levers passout of contact with the cams, the opening of these jaws taking place atthe instant that the head of the nail arrives at the bottom of theraceway and enters the groove 54. The nail is then carried upward by thejaws 60 in theposition shown in Fig. 5 until the levers 61 are broughtinto contact with cams 63, when the jaws are momentarily relaxed oropened, allowing the shank of the nail to fall onto the fiat horizontalportion of the bottom of the groove, as shown at the left-hand side ofFig. 5. As the wheel K continues to revolve this flat horizontal side ofthe bottom of the groove is brought into a vertical position, the jawsstill holding the nail and preventing its shank from tipping outwardly,and at this moment the levers 61 are brought into contact with two camsor projections 34, (shown in Figs. 1 and 5,) which open the jaws 60 andpermit the nail to drop head foremost into a conductor b, through whichit falls directly into contact with the first of a series of pairs ofrolls M, provided with dies 0, which act on the nails to render them ofuniform shape and give the head and shank the proper width andthickness,as hereinafter more fully described.

The rolls M arearranged in pairs beneath each other, the two rolls of apair being connected to revolve together by gears 61, and each pair isplaced at right angles to the pair immediately above it, as shown. Therolls are supported in boxes 65, mounted in housings N, each of which isadjustably secured to the adjacent vertical wall of the framework by aheavy screw-bolt 66, passing through a horizontal slot 67, whereby therolls M may be moved horizontally in the direction of their length tobring the desired dies into position beneath the conductors Z), throughwhich the nails pass from one pair of rolls to the next, each roll beingprovided with a number of dies 0, arranged side by side and adapted fornails of different sizes or all of the same size, one set of dies to beused when another set is worn out, any one of these dies being broughtbeneath the conductor by properly adjusting the housing N. The journalof one roll of each pair is elongated 'and connected with a shaft 68, inline therewith, by means of a coupling 69, Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7, whichpermits the housing N to be adjusted, as described, and each of saidshafts 68 is provided with a gear 7 0, through the hub of which itslides with a spline, as shown in Fig. 30, to permit of the adjustmentof the housing N with the die-rolls to bring the desired die intooperative position beneath the nail-conductor b. Each gear 7 O mesheswith and is driven by a gear 71, secured to a short shaft 72, supportedin boxes on the opposite side of the wall of the framework, as shown infull anddotted lines in Fig. 3, said short shafts 72 each carrying abevel-gear 7 3,which meshes with and is driven by a bevel-gear '74 onthe vertical shaft E, which is connected with the driving-shaft, aspreviously described, motion being in this manner transmitted from thedriving-shaft to each pair of die-grooved rolls M. Suitable openings arecut through the Walls of the framework to allow the gears 70 and 71 toengage each other. The boxes 65, which sup port the journals of eachpair of rolls M, slide in suitable guideways in the housingsNand areheld in place by a screw 7 5,bearin g against the outer box.

The nail comes into contact with the first or upper pair of rolls in anedgewise position, as shown in Fig. 5, the dies acting on the edges ofthe nail. The second pair of rolls,

owing to their position at right angles to the pair above, act on thefiat sides of the nail. The third pair act on the edges of the nail, andthe fourth pair again on theflat sides of the same, and in case thenumber of pairs of .rolls should be increased they would be arranged toact alternately on the edges and fiat sides of the nail in the samemanner. As soon as the nail has dropped onto the first pair of rolls itis seized near the point by a pair of grippers 6, (shown enlarged inFig. 6,) the two members of which are pivoted to the under side of aslide 76, moving vertically in a guide 64, secured to the top of theupper housing N. The grippers are closed against the resistance of aspring 7 S to seize the nail by means of a reciprocating wedge 79, Figs.5 and 6, swinging in the arc of a circle and acting to separate theouter ends of the grippers e,said wedge being secured to a horizontalrock-shaft 80, provided at its front end with an arm 81, a pinf at thelower end of which is engaged'by a cam-groove f in a wheel 82, Figs. 1and 28, secured to the end of the journal of one of the die-groovedrolls M, the cam being timed to cause the rippers to seizet-he nail atthe proper moment. As the rolls re- The die-grooves of the several pairsof rolls decrease in width and depth and increase in length as the pairsof rolls succeed each other in a downward direction, whereby the nail iscompressed and drawn out until it is given the elongated shape shown inFigs. 23 and 24,

the last pair of rolls forming the scarf 3 at I the point of the nail,which in a finished nail is always on the same side as the flat inclinedface of the head.

Beneath the second and fourth pairs of diegrooved rolls, which act onthe fiat side of the nail, is placed a curved stop-finger g, which whenin the position shown in Fig. 29 forms a stop for the head of the nail,thus preventing the nail from slipping down between the rolls and alsoserving as a gage to determine its position with respect to the dies,and thereby insure the entrance of the head of the nail at the propertime into the recesses made to receive it in the dies as the latter arerotated. The stop-finger g is brought into a position to catch the nailjust before the latter drops from the rolls above, and at the instant ofits contact with the stop-finger a flat spring-fingerh, Figs. 7 and 29,is caused to bear upon the'shank of the nail to hold the same by itsvolve the head of the nail is carried by the grippers 6 into therecesses in the dies made for its reception, the grippers ethendescending and carrying down the nail positively with a speedcorresponding to the surface velocity of the dies, which insures thenail passing properly through the same. If it were not for this device,the rolls, if revolving at a high speed, might fail to take the nail atthe right moment, and it would consequently be crushed out of shape andspoiled.

The slide 76 is actuated to depress and raise the grippers e by an arm84, entering an opening in the slide and secured at its opposite end toa shaft 86, to the outer end of which is secured an arm 87, carrying apin 88, which is engaged by a cam-groove 89, Fig. 2, in the outer sideof the wheel 82, previously described.

The above-described device whereby the nail is placed in the rightposition and given a positive downward movement corresponding to thefeed of the die-grooved rolls to insure their acting upon the nailproperly and at the right moment as they revolve is essential for thefirst pair of rolls, for the reason that the imperfect nail in its roughshape is not always presented to these rolls exactly in the rightposition. This device may be dispensed with for the other pairs ofrolls, if desired, and in the machine herein described I have shown itas applied to the upper pair of rolls only; but I prefer to apply it toeach pair of rolls, as it insures more perfect results. The jaws of thegrippers e are each provided with a spring 90, formed integraltherewith, as shown in Fig. 6, whereby they are enabled to yield in casean. extra thick nail should be encountered, thereby avoiding injury tothe mechanism.

friction thereon, immediately after which the stop-finger g iswithdrawn, leaving the nail supported by the spring h and free to bedrawn down by the revolution of the diegrooved rolls as soon as the headhas entered the recesses therein adapted to receive it, the nail passinginto the conductor 1) and thence to the mechanism beneath. Each of thefingers g is secured to a rock-shaft 92, carrying at its outer end anarm 93, which is acted upon by a cam 94 to withdraw the finger g againstthe resistance of alight retractingspring 95, which when permitted bythe cam 94 throws the finger up into the position shown in Fig. 29 tocatch the nail. The fiat spring-finger his forced forward into contactwith the shank of the nail by an arm 96 on a rock-shaft 98, whichcarries at its outer end an arm 99, Figs. 1 and 2, which is acted uponto move the shaft by a pin 2' on the outer face of the cam 9i, whichoperates the stop-finger g. The third pair of rolls M is not providedwith a stop-finger g, as it is not required, on account of the nailbeing presented to the rolls edgewise, but said third pair of rolls isprovided with a spring-finger h, having the same construction and modeof operation as that applied to the second and fourth pairs of to theend of a horizontal shaft 100, supported in a long stationary bearing101, to the outer end of which is secured a curved guard-plate 102,partially encircling the periphery of the wheel P and serving to preventthe nail from dropping out of the pocket before the wheel has completedits half-revolution. The two pockets it for the nails are placed side byside with their open ends on opposite sides of the periphery of thewheel, as shown in Fig. 11, said pockets having a removable cover 103,whereby access may be gained thereto.

The wheel P is rotated intermittingly in one direction onehalf-revolution at a time by means of a ratchet-and-pawl mechanismm',connected with a pinion n on the shaft 100, which meshes with a rackg on one side of a flat baror pitman 104, Figs. 7 and 8, the upper endof which is forked and embraces the shaft 68, the latter being providedwith a cam 105, which acts upon a cam-roll 106 on the bar 104, thusdepressing the same against the re sistance of a retracting-spring 107,Fig. 7, a verticall y-reciprocatin g movement being thus given to thebar 10& to produce through the connections described the desiredmovement of the carrier-wheel P, each half-revolution of which bringsthe open end or mouth of one of the pockets into a position to receive anail from the die-rolls above and the open end of the other pocket intoaposition to discharge the nail previously dropped therein into thecuttingand compressing die beneath. The shaft of the carrier-wheel P isprovided with a friction-brake 32, Fig. 7, which prevents the wheel frombeing carried by its own momentum beyond the distance required to bringthe mouth of each pocket 70 directly beneath the conductor 1).

Q represents the stationary cutting-die,and R is a reciprocating punchwhich cooperates therewith, said punch having the shape or outline ofthe fiat side of a finished nail. The cutting-die is composed of twoportions 108 109, (shown particularly in Figs. 13, 14, and 15,) whichare adj ustably secured in position opposite to each other by means ofscrews 110 within a horizontal groove 112 in a housing S, the latterbeing secured to the framework near the bed of the machine by means ofscrew-bolts 113, passing through slots 114, whereby said housing is madeadjustable, as may be required. The two cutting edges 115 of the die Qare inclined downward and inward, as shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15,thereby producing, with the punch R, a shearing cut to trim off thesurplus metal from the nail after the latter has been acted upon by thedie-grooved rolls previously described, the piece of metal cut off fromthe lower portion of the shank being shown in Fig. 27, leaving the shankof the exact shape required for a nail of the first quality, as shown inFigs. 25 and 26. The punch R is secured within a vertical slot or groove33 in the head of a horizontal reciprocating bar or spindle T, whichslides in suitable bearings in the framework, as shown in Fig. 7, itsouter end being acted upon by a cam 116, whereby it is moved in thedirection of-its length against the resistance of a retracting-spring117 to advance the punch to shear or trim the nail. The cam 116 issecured to a horizontal shaft 118, carrying a bevel-gear 120, whichmeshes with and is driven by a bevel-pinion 121 on the driving-shaft B,as shown in Fig. 3.

The end 122 of the punch-carrying spindle T, which is acted upon by thecam 116, is made separate from the main portion and is arranged to slidetelescopically within it, as shown in Fig. 7, a wedge or key 123,passing through a slot in said bar T, acting upon the inner end of theportion 122 to push the same outward, whereby the effective length ofthe bar T may be changed to vary the limit of the forward movement ofthe punch R,and thereby subject the' nail to more or less pressure, ashereinafter described. Between thetwo side pieces 108 109 of thecutting-die Q is placed a slide 25, which has the same shape or outlinein cross-section as the punch R; but instead of having a straightvertical face it is inclined or curved backward and upward, as shown inFigs. 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19, to conform exactly to the shape of theinclined side of a horseshoe-nail. This slide tis secured by a bolt 125within a slot in the head 126 of a spindle 127, which slideshorizontally within a tubular support or bushing 128, provided with apolygonal head 129 and screwed into the framework A, whereby it may becaused to project more or less on the side next to the head 126 of thespindle 127, said bushing, which forms a bearing for the spindle 127,being provided with a check-nut 130 for looking it in position whenadjusted. Against the outer end of the spindle 127 bears a stiff fiatspring 131, secured at its lower end to the bed of the machine, saidspring being connected with the spindle 127 by means of a U-shapedcoupling 133, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Each of the side pieces 108 109 of the cutting-die Q is'provided with astraight vertical groove 135, Figs. 14, 15, 19, and 20, forming whenplaced together a straight vertical passage, as shown inFig. 20, throughwhich the finished nail drops when released into an opening 136,.Figs. 7and 19, and thence out of the machine, the waste pieces cut from thenails falling through an opening 138, separated from the opening 136 bya partitionplate 139. As the nail dropsfrom the inverting carrier-wheelP it is caught by the head in a pendent position, as shown in Fig. 16,between the two side pieces 108 109 of the cutting-die, with one of itsflat sides close to the rearwardly-yielding slide t, which forms theback of the compressing-die. The punch R now advancesand carries thenail against the back 25, between which and the punch it is then tightlysqueezed as the punch continues to move forward, as shown in Fig. 17,the back If yielding against the resistance of the spring 131,previously referred to, which by its stiffness causes a considerablepressure to be exerted on the nail to hold it firmly and securely inplace and prevent any possibility of its turning or getting out ofposition while being cut. The punch R as it continues to advance nowbrings the lower portion of the shank of the nail against the inclinedcutting edges of the portionslOS 109,whereby the piece of surplus metalshown in Figs. 16, 17, and 27 is sheared off, the sliding back if stillyielding against the resistance of the stiff spring 131 until the headof the spindle 127 is brought into contact with the inner end of thebushing 128, Fig. 18, which acts as a stop therefor, when the furtheradvance of the punch to the termination of its forward movement causesthe nail to be subjected to a heavy pressure between the punch R and thenow stationary slide i, whereby the operation of straightening it togive it the proper shape for driving is completed, and at the same timeby reason of the backwardly-inclined shape of the upper end of the faceof the slide t the head of the nail is set or bent over to conformthereto in case the inclined face of said nailshould happen to be on theside next to the punch R, which is liable to occur owing to the positionof the head when the nail is dropped onto the first pair of die-groovedrolls, this device thus insuring the inclined flat side of the nailbeing, as required, always on the same side as the scarf 3 at the pointof the shank, which scarf is formed by the dies of the lowermost pair ofrolls M.

I will now describe the locking device by means of which the spindle 127is held back against the resistance of the spring 131 to prevent theslide 25 from following the punch R as the latter is withdrawn by itsretracting-spring 117, which would close the naildelivering passageformed by the grooves 135 of the cutting-die and prevent the escape ofthe nail after being released by the punch, and to prevent thepossibility of the spindle 127 being carried forward by the jar causedby the operation of the machine, which would close the nail-passage, itis connected to the spring 131 by the horizontal U-shaped coupling 133,previously referred to, whereby the spindle is held back positivelyuntil the spring 131 is released to return the slide ito its normalposition, which takes place as soon as the finished nail has droppedthrough the die. This locking device consists of a block or wedge 140,secured to the outer end of an arm v 141, Figs. 1, 2, and 7, projectingfrom a horizontal rock-shaft 142 supported in brackets 143, said shafthaving one end turned up at a right angle, forming an arm 144, which isacted upon by a cam 145 011 the shaft 68, which drives the lower pair ofdie-rolls M, whereby as soon as the spindle 127 has been forced back bythe punch R the wedge 140 is carried down against the inner side of thetop of the spring 131, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19,

.thus preventing it from acting on the spindle to advance the same untilthe nail has dropped out of the cutting-die, at which time the cam 145will be in the position shown dotted in Fig. 3, thus releasing therock-shaft 142, when the spring 131, acting on the round corner of thewedge 140, will force the same upward into the position shown in Fig. 7and at the same time return the spindle 127 and slide 25, connectedtherewith, to their original position ready for the succeeding nail,which is then acted upon by the punch and die in the same manner asabove described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. I11 a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with thenail-supporting raceway, of the rotary carrier-wheel provided with aperipheral groove for the reception of the nails, said groove having apolygonal bottom, a stop-plate for inclining the nails from a verticalposition as they enter said groove, spring-pressed gripper-jaws locatedat or near the angles of the bottom of said groove, and oamsforoperating said grippe1'-jaws,whereby the nail is seized beneath the headas it enters the groove from the raceway, and momentarily released afterbeing carried part way around to allow the nail to fall into ahorizontal position upon the straight upper face of the bottom of thegroove, and then released when it has assumed a vertical position over aguideway or conductor, substantially as described.

2. In a horseshoe-naihfinishing machine, the combination with a seriesof pairs of diegrooved rolls, a vertical conductor or guideway leadingto the first pair of said rolls, and mechanism for conveying the nailsto said conductor and dropping them one by one therein head foremost, ofvertically-reciprocating grippers for seizing the nail within theconductor after it has dropped onto the dierolls, said grippers beingmounted on a slide, means for operating the grippers, and means foroperating the slide to cause the grippers to descend and carry down thenail positively at a speed corresponding to the surface velocity of thedies in the rolls, substantially as described.

3. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with thedie-grooved rolls,the conductor or guideway leading thereto, andmechanism for conveying the nails to said conductor and dropping themone by one therein head foremost, of the grippers mounted upon avertically-reciprocating slide and provided with yielding jaws normallyheld apart by a spring, a reciprocating wedge for closing said jaws uponthe shank of the nail, and means for operating said wedge, and an armoperated by a cam for actuating the slide to carry the nail downward ata speed corresponding to the surface velocity of the dies in the rolls,substantially as described.

4. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with a pair ofdie-grooved rolls and nail conductors or guideways placed above andbeneath the same, of a stop-finger placed beneath said rolls to catchand support the nail, and forming a gage to determine its position andthereby insure the en- ICC IIO

trance of its head at the proper time within the recesses in the diesmade to'receive it, means for operating said finger, a spring-fingerplaced above the die-grooved rolls and adapted to be brought intocontact with the shank of the nail after it has dropped, to support thesame when the stop-finger is Withdrawn, and means for actuating thespringfinger to bring it into contact'with the nail, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with a seriesof pairs of diegrooved rolls arranged to act successively andalternately on opposite sides of an imperfect or unfinished nail to givethe head and shank the proper width and thickness, of the combinedcutting and shaping die consisting of a reciprocating punch member, adie or matrix having cutting edges for shearing the surplus metal fromthe uail,and provided with grooves forming a vertical passage for thedischarge of the finished nail,and a yielding back placed between thetwo members of the cutting-die and cooperating with the punch tocompress and straighten the nail and set over its head if necessary,said yielding back being secured to a horizontally-sliding spindle, astiff spring bearing against said spindle and acting to force the sametoward the punch, whereby the nail is held securely in place while beingcut, and a stop for arresting the backward movement of the spindlebefore the punch has completed its forward movement, all operatingsubstantially as described.

6. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with the punchand the die having cutting edges for shearing the surplus metal from thenail, of a spring-pressed slide forming the back of the die andcooperating with the punch to straighten and shape the nail and hold thesame while being cut, said slide being secured to a spindle providedwith a head or shoulder and sliding within a tubular support or bearing,the inner end of which forms a solid stop for the shoulder of thespindle, said tubular support being made longitudinally adjustable tovary the position of the stop to produce more or less compression of thenail, substantially as described.

7. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with the punchand the die having cutting edges for shearing the surplus metal from thenail, and provided with grooves forming a vertical passage for thedischarge of the finished nail, of the yielding slide forming the backof the compressing-die and secured to a spindle supported by and slidingin a tubular bearing, the inner end of which spring bearing against theend of the spindle, and a locking device for catching and holding backthe spring at the end of the rearward movement of the spindle until thepunch has receded to release the nail, whereby the latter is permittedto drop through the vertical passage of the die, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with the punchand die having cutting edges for shearing the surplus metal from thenail, and provided with grooves forming a vertical passage for thedischarge of the finished nail, of the yielding slide forming the backof the compressing-die, and secured to a spindle supported by andsliding in a tubular bearing, the inner end of which forms a stop forarresting the rearward movement of the yielding back of the die, a stifispring bearing against the end of the spindle, a rock-shaft carrying anarm provided with a Wedge or block for engagement with the upper end ofsaid stiff spring to lock the same when forced back by the spindle, anda cam for actuating said rock-shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, the combination with the punchand the die having cutting edges for shearing the nail, of the spindlecarrying the slide forming the yielding back of the compressing-die, andthe spring bearing against the end of said spindle and positivelyconnected therewith bya coupling, whereby the yielding back of the dieis prevented from being moved forward by the jarring of the machine intoa position to prevent the discharge of the finished nail before therelease of the spring, substantially as described.

10. In a horseshoe-nail-finishing machine, an inverting nail-carryingWheel rotated intermittingly in one direction only, a half-revolution ata time, and being provided with two straight nail-pockets arranged sideby side and extending diametrically through the wheel, and having theiropen ends on opposite sides of the periphery of the same,ratchetand-pawl mechanism for intermittingly rotating the carrier-wheel,and a friction-brake for preventing said wheel being carried by its ownmomentum beyond the distance required to bring the mouth of eachnail-pocket beneath the nail-conductor, substantially as described.

\Vitness my hand this 29th day of September, A. I). 1897.

HENRY ALEXIS \VILLIAMS. Witnesses:

forms a stop for arresting the rearward movement of the yielding back ofthe die, a stiff P. E. TESCHEMACHER, CLARA M. HARRIS,

